


To love and to honour

by elareine



Series: JayTim Week 2018 [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Breaking Up & Making Up, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Back Together, JayTim Week 2018, M/M, Old Age, Porn with Feelings, Secret Marriage, Slice of Life, Vegas Wedding, but honestly this isn't that sad, other minor character deaths mentioned, the character death is (spoilers) at the end of a long life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 05:48:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16634108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elareine/pseuds/elareine
Summary: Jason had been drunk and Tim on a mission when it had happened, but a year later, they were still married.Five anniversaries and one wedding.





	To love and to honour

_One Year Anniversary_

 

“Oh, by the way, happy anniversary, babe.” 

Tim looked at him strangely. “You remember the date?” 

“Duh,” Jason scuffed. “What kind of husband do you take me to be?” 

“One that married me while drunk and didn’t even get me a proper honeymoon,” Tim deadpanned right back. 

“Excuse me, which one is the millionaire here? I’m the kept wife, honey. I expected Bali at least.” Jason’s tone was saccharine and entirely at odds with the gun holster he was carefully putting away into the closet space he’d claimed for his own in Tim’s apartment. 

Tim, as always, didn’t seem to care, content to watch him from where was sitting at the kitchen table. “And I wanted to be swept away and romanced, so neither of us got their needs met, did we?

“Oh, you have _needs_ I didn’t meet?” Jason turned to him and leered. “I’m so sorry. Let me make it up to you.” Jason couldn’t manage to say that sentence without waggling his eyebrows suggestively, but that was okay, because it made Tim laugh, and _that_ was one of Jason’s favourite sights in the world. Nothing sexier than Tim Drake relaxing in just his underwear and smiling for _him_. 

Yeah, Jason absolutely had the biggest crush on his husband, so what? 

He dealt with these feelings the way he usually did: Channeling them into action. Moving to stand between Tim’s legs, he bent forward to cup his face and kiss him. Tim kissed him back right away, his hands coming up to rest on Jason’s shoulders and pull him closer. Jason knew if he let him, Tim would pull him right into his lap, a position he usually quite enjoyed being in. 

But that wasn’t what he was in the mood for today. 

He kissed Tim just a bit longer - that mouth, Jesus - then pulled himself away with some difficulty, trying to ignore the way Tim followed him, the small, confused sound he made when Jason pulled away completely. 

The groan Tim couldn’t quite quiet when Jason sank to his knees right in front of him was worth it. He put his hands on Tim’s lean, muscular thighs, sighing in appreciation when he felt how tense they were in anticipation. Getting a good, firm grip on them the way he knew Tim liked, he pushed them apart and pushed his face without ceremony into Tim’s crotch. 

Immediately, it was like holding a live wire under him. Tim twitched and groaned, his hands finding their way into Jason’s hair as if he just needed to something to hold onto as Jason nuzzled the erection that was rapidly forming underneath Tim’s boxers. 

It was extremely gratifying, the way Tim reacted to him if Jason was honest to himself. At first, he’d thought maybe it was because neither of them was extremely experienced by the time they’d started fucking around. But no. The more attuned to each other they’d become, the better the sex was, and that was saying something.

He mouthed at the outline of Tim’s cock through his thin underwear, deliberately letting saliva wet the material. Eventually, his mouth arrived at the clearly visible head, and his tongue started teasing there. 

“Fuck, Jason,” Tim gasped. Then the hand in Jason’s hair tightened and pulled him away. The sting in his scalp send heat all the way through him and he watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Tim’s other hand scrambled to pull his pants down and away. 

He was pulled back in and only resisted for a second, just enough to get Tim to work for it, before giving in quite happily and taking his cock as far into his mouth as it would go on the first try. 

Jason kinda loved this, just making Tim feel good with his mouth, and he spent long minutes doing exactly that before he heard: “Jay… look at me.” 

Jason only realised he had closed his eyes when he had to force them open. He pulled back a bit, moving one hand to hold Tim’s cock at the base and giving little licks to the head. The sight that greeted him was delicious. Tim was flushed down to his neck, his mouth open and panting, and he was looking down at him with the kind of intensity that Jason had never received from anyone else, like he wanted to know him fully and swallow him whole. 

Jason had to close his eyes again. Tim, kind as he sometimes could be, let him. 

Soon, Jason could feel a small tremble starting under his hands and re-doubled his efforts, lavishing the head of Tim’s cock with his tongue one second and swallowing him all the way down the next. 

“Jason!” Tim’s upper body pitched forward and folded himself over him, surrounding Jason from all sides as he trembled and moaned and came in his mouth. 

Jason sucked him through it, then regretfully let his cock go; he knew how sensitive Tim could get right after an orgasm. 

Which reminded him of his own erection, and as soon as he had that thought he needed to touch himself _right now_. Shoving his pants down without ceremony just enough to fist his cock, he groaned. Fuck, he was so wet already, he could just fuck his own fist. With a curse, he pressed his face into the crease between Tim’s crotch and his thigh. The touch almost hurt, he was so turned on now. It was so good. 

The sound seemed to bring Tim to life again because he pulled Jason even closer to him with a chuckle. “That’s right,” he encouraged him, his voice rough and so close to Jason’s ear now, “get yourself off, you did so well, you deserve it.” 

“Tim,” was all Jason could say, then he was shaking through his orgasm, spilling over his own fist. 

“That’s good,” Tim murmured, not letting him go. 

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. He didn’t feel the need to move either, content to be on his knees, surrounded by the smell and feel of his husband. 

It was their anniversary, after all. 

 

_Five Year Anniversary_

 

Jason barely made it home in time. 

Sure, Tim had told him it was okay if he missed this anniversary. Alien invasions kind of took precedent in both their worldviews. It wasn’t as if they made a major celebration of the date, either. 

But the Outlaws finished up their part of the mission on the afternoon of their fifth anniversary and, well, Jason could take a hint from the universe now and again. Maybe coming home covered in alien goo carried by a Superman clone wasn’t the most romantic entrance he’d ever engineered (that title went to the time he’d covered Tim in heart-shaped confetti after they had argued the day before Valentine’s Day - Tim had been so _pissed_ ), but that was okay. Tim was doing the exact same thing. They had a great time cleaning up in the shower together. 

Afterwards, though, the exhaustion of trying to save humanity from extinction sank in. They barely made it into bed before settling down for a long nap. 

When Jason woke up, the clock read ’11:40 pm’ and Tim was lying on top of him, dozing.

Jason smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “Sleep some?” 

“Mmm,” Tim hummed, “a bit.” 

“What’s keeping you up?” Jason asked, sparing a moment to marvel at the fact that he actually had to ask that the day _after an alien invasion_. 

But true to form, Tim really wasn’t thinking about that. Instead, he said: “We’ve been married five years now.” 

“Yup.” 

“Do you ever consider going public?” 

It wasn’t like Jason hadn’t thought about that before. Though he should point out… “Pretty much every single one of our friends already knows. We’re not that subtle. Are we just talking extending that to the bats here? Or going public all the way?” 

Tim stilled against him. “You’d do that.” 

Fuck. 

“Of course. You think I’m happy letting you attend all these high society parties as ‘Gotham’s most eligible bachelor’? Nah, the reporters are gonna be annoying, but it’ll be worth it.” He tried to put all the certainty he felt about that into his voice. He could kick himself if he made Tim doubt that. (Then again, Tim tended to doubt people thinking he was worth doing anything quite frequently, Jason was starting to figure out.)

There was a full minute of silence. Jason watched it tick by on the clock and waited.

Tim finally propped up his chin on Jason’s chest so they were looking at each other. He was smiling. “I’d like that. Show you off.” 

“We both know it would be the other way around, babe.” 

They grinned at each other for a second, then Jason had a thought. “Fuck. I’m going to have to buy more suits, aren’t I?” 

Tim’s smile turned downright predatory. “Do make sure to inform me before you go in for a fitting.” 

“Will do.” 

“We do need to mock up some appropriate-looking wedding photos or Alfred will kill us.” 

Jason hummed. “Could just get married again. Celebrate this time.” He kind of liked that thought. 

“It might be worth it just to hear Bruce’s speech.” 

“Oh jeez, it’s going to be so embarrassing. We should make sure as many people as possible come to witness it. Serena will want front-row seats.” 

“We’ll put a notice in the papers. ‘Timothy Jackson Drake and Jason Peter Todd are happy to announce their engagement.’ Or happy to announce their marriage in the year 2018’, if we want to be precise.” 

“Still wondering just how drunk we were to put our real names on the license,” Jason chuckled, by now unconcerned by what had been a significant worry at first.

Tim shrugged. “It’s less suspicious than pictures of us surfacing and the gossip magazines figuring out we used fake names. ” 

“You know they will get those records once you officially announce this marriage, right?” Jason asked. “They will follow that paper trail once they find out it exists.” 

“So? All they’ll find is that I married a soldier when he was on leave. I’m sure they’ll put a most romantic spin on the decision.” 

Jason laughed, delighted. “I’m a soldier? Really?” 

“Out of the country for long stretches of time, easy-to-fake records thanks to our connections, no one questions your upbringing, DADT providing a good reason for us staying quiet about our relationship until you’re discharged,” Tim listed, “there are a lot of advantages to that particular cover story.” 

“You thought of everything.” 

“Of course.” 

“You think about us changing our names, too?” Jason asked and had the pleasure of seeing Tim blush. “You did, admit it.” 

Tim looked away. “I admit to thinking I’d like to take your name at some point.” 

Huh. It kind of made sense. Tim had a lot of bad associations with the name ‘Drake’. Neither of them wanted kids, so this wasn’t about passing on the name or any such bullshit, but Jason would absolutely feel uncomfortable giving up his name to take on one that meant old money and influence. It would feel like a betrayal of where he’d come from. 

Timothy Jackson Todd though… Jason chuckled. 

When Tim glared at him, he hastened to explain: “No, that’s great. It’s just… Tim Todd, the Red Robin. Cartoon villain alliteration much?” 

“I was thinking of Wayne-Todd, too. For me, at least.” 

Jason grimaced. “I don’t know. I’d like to have the same last name as you,” he admitted, “but while it would fit for you, I feel weird about _that_ being the way I finally take the Wayne name.” 

“Like it was about Bruce, not about us?” Tim asked, his face understanding. 

“Yeah, exactly.” 

It was Tim’s turn to drop a kiss to his exposed skin. “Think about it if you want to, but just so you know: I’m absolutely fine just taking on your name. Our situations are completely different. This isn’t something that needs to be reciprocal.”

“I love you.” 

“I know. You, too.” 

“…Though if I’m supposed to be your soldier boy-toy, I’d better get the millionaire name, too.” 

“Shut up and go back to sleep.” 

 

_Ten Year Anniversary_

 

“Well, happy fucking anniversary.” Jason toasted the kitchen cabinet. It was the closest thing to the table that wasn’t the empty chair across from him because talking to that space would just make him pathetic. 

Because clearly, drinking alone in the kitchen wasn’t enough to get him all the way into that category yet. Jesus, what was his life. 

Determined to distract himself at least a little bit, he pulled out his phone. There was text from Roy waiting for him. 

‘U ok?’ 

Jason thought about it. ’Doing about as well as expected.’ 

‘:((((((( Wanna go kill something?’ 

Man, he did have the best friends. Artemis had offered him the same thing this morning, just without asking about his feelings first. 

‘My brain with alcohol maybe.’ 

‘Been there done that don’t do it(or at least only for tonight ok) he’s not worth that’ 

Jason started typing ‘he is’, then caught himself and very deliberately replaced it with: ‘It’s ok, got only one bottle. Promise.’ _Someone_ had stolen most of his stash last night. Jason suspected it was one of the members of the batclan, because who else was awkward enough to express their worry that way? 

To be fair, he hadn’t made it easy for them to talk to him over those last six months. It had been evident to him even before Tim and he started sleeping together that their family would know exactly whose side to take in case of a divorce. Or separation, as the case was. 

They hadn’t divorced yet. Jason wasn’t quite sure why. Or at least he wasn’t sure why Tim hadn’t served him the papers yet. After all, his decision had been quite clear back then, hadn’t it? Jason had asked him: “What’s more important: the job or me?” and Tim had answered: “The job.” 

Maybe there was some kind of separation period they’d need to prove to the court to show that it was really over. He should ask Tim.

Well, no, he really shouldn’t. He just… he just wanted to talk to him. 

There was a second phone in front of him, and he picked it up. 

Put it down again. 

Finally, he took it into his hand again and thumbed to the contact marked ’T-5’. With a deep breath, he pressed the ‘call’ button and lifted the device to his ear. 

The phone rang. And rang. 

No one picked up. 

The voice mail turned on. It was the generic message listing the number you called and ‘please leave a message’.

There was a beep. Time to speak. 

Jason hung up. 

He had wanted to believe that Tim hadn’t changed his number, either. That he had held on to that one phone he’d owned when they’d broken up despite his usual habit of changing burner phones at least once a month. That he had wanted to keep that line of communication open like Jason had. 

Of course, he could be in a fight right now, arresting criminals or tracking down a murderer. But Jason couldn’t help but think that he’d either gotten rid of the phone (gotten rid of _Jason_ ) months ago or that he’d seen who was calling and decided not to pick up. 

Likely the latter. 

Anyway, what was Jason going to say, anyway? ‘It’s okay that you’re yet another person prioritising their mission over me’? ‘Please keep blowing off dates and not listening to me and endangering yourself and not visiting me in the hospital because you’re on a case’? Yeah, Tim had been in deep cover, but still. Jason had later had found out he’d known and chosen not to contact him. 

Back then, it had been fine, a minor irritancy they argued and then forgot about. Now, it was just one more piece of evidence in a growing file that proved he once more came second. 

He texted Roy again. ‘I just called Tim.’

‘?!!!!? Wtf man’ was the answer, followed by ‘what did he say??’ 

‘Voicemail. I hung up.’ 

‘Ok thats good? Right??’ 

Jason didn’t know the answer to that one. ‘Probably.’ 

As if on cue, his burner phone started vibrating with an incoming call. Fuck. 

He texted Rory: ’He’s calling me back.’ 

‘Dont!!!’ 

Jason closed his eyes and waited for his phone to stop vibrating. Then, for his hand to stop shaking. 

‘I didn’t.’ 

‘Fuck this, man :( Im coming over.’ 

Another vibration alerted him to a text message on his burner phone. 

 

Roy let himself in. This small apartment wasn’t anything like the one he’d called his (their) own for seven years, but his friends had made sure they had duplicate keys, still. Maybe even ‘because’. 

His greeting “hey” was way too gentle, but Jason was honestly down enough to appreciate it right now. 

“He left a voicemail,” he told Roy. 

“Are you going to listen to it, then?” 

“You think I should?” Jason frowned. He’d sort of expected to hear the opposite. 

Roy lifted his hands and spread his fingers in a gesture that seemed to encompass all his helplessness in this situation. “I dunno, dude. But I think you will do it no matter what I say, and I’d rather have it be now with me here instead of two a.m.” 

Jason thought about. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

Roy got himself a glass from the counter and poured himself a decent amount of whiskey. Then he settled in with the look of a man ready for everything. “Okay, let’s hear it.” 

“It might be nothing.” 

“Sure.” 

“It’s probably nothing.” 

“Jason, play the damn thing.” 

Yeah, okay. Jason called his mailbox (his fingers were still shaking, but Roy didn’t comment, so he wouldn’t, either) and put the phone on loudspeaker.

“Jason. I was just a second too late to pick up and you probably regret calling me already,” Tim’s voice said and Jason - he wanted to close his eyes, to bask in the voice he hadn’t heard for almost six months, to pretend that Tim was here with him, that they weren’t spending their wedding anniversary half a country apart because they were barely even married anymore. 

All the more reason to keep his eyes open. 

“So there is a good chance you will never listen to this. However, if you are, just know that I shouldn’t have said that. I _hope_ you know that. I was angry, but that’s not an excuse, because it was a _lie_ , Jason.”

Distantly, Jason noted the way Tim kept repeating his name. As if he’d been avoiding saying it all that time, too, and missed it. 

“One designed to hurt you, and that makes it so much worse, so I’m not expecting forgiveness, but…Jason, I’m just - I’m just so sorry.” And oh, that was Tim’s voice when he was crying. Jason wasn’t looking at Roy, suddenly uncomfortable at baring so much of his - his ex’s soul to his best friend. 

A few seconds passed in which nothing but hitching breaths filled the silence. Finally, Tim continued: “I keep thinking about it. I should have just listened, should have just compromised, it wouldn’t have been that hard, but instead - fuck. I just wanted to let you know that you’re worth everything, Jason, don’t let me or anyone else tell you otherwise. Okay. Sorry. I’m going to hang up now.”

The automated voice menu options that followed were jarring. It was only when Jason hastened to press the button assigned to ‘save the message’ and everything was blurry that he realised he was crying. Fuck. He hadn’t done that in months, not since he hadn’t been able to stop during that first week after their argument. 

“Well, fuck,” Roy eloquently commented. He was looking at Jason with sharp eyes. “What are you going to do?” 

“I think,” Jason said slowly, “I’m going to ask my husband if he wants to meet up for breakfast.” 

 

_Twenty-Five Year Anniversary_

 

Coming home and finding Tim already on the couch, a mug of coffee at his side and a tablet on his lap was still a good feeling, no matter the thousands of times it had happened before. 

Jason greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. Sometimes he missed the days when something so simple could make Tim blush, but honestly, this was better: Tim accepting gestures of affection as if they were his due and doling them out just the same. 

As if to prove his point, Tim immediately slung an arm around his waist and pulled him down beside him, sighing contently when Jason pressed close. Tim had always run cold, but Jason thought he was especially appreciative of extra warmth these days, always cuddling up to Jason or under a blanket when they were at home. 

Looking at him, Jason could still see the twenty-year-old he’d married back then, but to be honest, that image was becoming blurry. As he aged his taste in people had aged with him, for lack of a better expression. These days, he couldn’t look at an actual twenty-year-old without mentally labelling them a child, but he looked at Tim and saw a desirable man who held Jason’s heart and soul in his palm. 

His eyes were still the same bright blue. 

Biology aside, Jason kind of thought he resembled Bruce these days. Damian, of course, was his father’s striking image, but Jason thought that Tim had more of Bruce’s fluidity of character. Tim at the office wasn’t Tim in the field wasn’t Tim with his friends wasn’t Tim at home. 

“So,” he finally broke the comfortable silence that had settled over them. “I got some news.” 

Tim stopped working and focused on him fully. “Yes?” 

“Got a fully legal job offer last week,” Jason told him, already anticipating Tim’s astonishment, “and I accepted.” 

To his surprise, Tim started laughing uncontrollably. 

Okay, that was unexpected. 

Tim didn’t laugh like this often, but once he lost it, he really lost it. There was nothing to do but wait him out. He kind of couldn’t help but smile - Tim’s mirth was infectious, even though Jason would still very much like to know what the fuck was going on. 

“It’s just,” Tim hiccuped, wiping away tears of laughter, “I was going to surprise you with the exact same thing.” 

Oh. Oh, okay, that was pretty fucking funny. Jason started laughing himself, and that set Tim off again, so it took them almost five minutes to recover enough to actually talk. 

“Oh man, I guess great minds do think alike.” 

“It’s almost like we’re married,” Tim said dryly, though the effect was slightly ruined by his red cheeks. 

Jason couldn’t help kissing them again before asking: “Okay, you wanna actually hear what I’m doing?” 

“Yes, please.” Tim settled back under his arm contentedly. 

“I used that CV you built for me way back when - soldier, private security contractor, etc. and applied for an online degree. You’re looking at Gotham’s newest social worker. City was looking for someone to do outreach programs for at-risk kids and young offenders, so…” 

He felt Tim squeeze his side gently. “You’ll be good at that.” 

“Thanks. I can start in two weeks, probably, or as soon as they get the paperwork through. Until then, I’m all yours.” 

“You already handed over your other business?” 

“Yeah, I handed that over to L. She’s been ready for a while now. This whole ‘becoming an honest and law-abiding citizen’ business will drastically reduce my income, though. Lucky that I married rich, really.” 

Not that Jason hadn’t put aside enough to never worry about money again, himself. Tim took up the joke, though. “Yes, I’m keeping the CEO job, so you won’t have to give up the luxury lifestyle you’re so accustomed to any time soon.” 

“No more vigilante-supporting then? You sure the kids will survive without you?” 

“They’re doing fine. I might do support if there’s, like, another alien invasion happening - oh don’t look at me like that, you _know_ it will happen, and anyway, as if you wouldn’t get out a Kalashnikov and stand in front of the door during an invasion.” 

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Jason conceded the point. “So you’re going to focus on Wayne Enterprises? Sure you won’t get bored?” 

Tim explained: “There’s a generational change happening right now and it’s not a smooth transition at all. Navigating that ought to keep me entertained. Even failing that, WE is by now supplying thirteen vigilantes with tech and costumes. I think I will be plenty busy with the R&D for that. Besides,” and his tone softened, “I quite like the idea of falling asleep and waking up with you.” 

“Look, I probably shouldn’t say this since it’s the same thing I ‘gave’ you, but it’s a pretty great gift, Tim,” Jason told him earnestly. “Thank you.” 

“Happy anniversary, Jason.” Tim kissed him long and drawn out and without hurry. As always, his kiss made desire pool low in Jason’s gut, made him want to pull the other man into him and never let go. At this point, he didn’t think that feeling would ever fade.

Today it had been twenty-five years since they got married. Tomorrow they would mark fifteen years since they had gotten back together after their one and only separation. Jason already knew Tim would ‘surprise’ him with breakfast, as he had done every time since, and hopefully would for the rest of their lives. 

Here’s to the next twenty-five, he thought and focused on kissing his husband. 

 

_Fifty Year Anniversary_

 

“Happy anniversary, love.” 

Jason was making a special meal tonight. He’d always been more of a functional cook than a real one, but since Tim and he had taken on the role of ‘weird ex-vigilante uncles who give good no-bullshit advice’ in the recent decades, he’d discovered how fun it was to serve people their favourite meals. The lasagna, made according to the recipe he’d been willed by Alfred, was Tim’s favourite, so that was on the menu today. Dick, Steph and Damien had promised to stop by later in the evening, so Jason made sure there was enough to heat up later. 

The table was set, too, with a single red rose decorating its centre. “Look at us getting sappy. Should’ve used that set-up to propose, eh? Ah well, you knew what you were taking on when you married me. Even tequila couldn’t have made you forget that.” 

“The kids are doing alright. Kon junior misses his uncle. He’s doing well, though, just graduated uni. None of us ever told him you were technically a high school drop-out, by the way, so he still sees you as an academic role model.” 

“Went to Dick’s grave with Babs yesterday. Still kinda difficult to believe I’ve now officially outlived two out of three Robins (if you don’t count Steph). Then again, if you count differently, I guess you all outlived me at least once.” 

“Damian’s still kicking, of course. You’d think he’d be too old for the Batman mantle, but nope, still doing the caped crusader thing. He’s still grieving for Dick, though, and I don’t think it’ll be long before he retires. Tried talking to him, but you know how it is.” 

“Artemis and Bizarro asked me to move closer to them. I dunno. I think the fact that they aren’t ageing as we are is starting to catch up on them, so it’s pretty cool they still want me around. Kori isn’t on Earth much these days, and I don’t blame her. I dunno, Tim. Might be nice to be closer to them and the kids, but. This is our home.” 

Jason looked around. 

They had lived in this small house for almost fifteen years before Tim had died. 

(Jason had never shied away from that phrase, and he wasn’t about to do that now. Besides, it was a far more accurate description of things than ‘Tim had left him’.)

The rooms still bore traces of Tim. His possessions hadn’t bothered Jason before, so there was no reason to throw them out now. It was more than that though - it was like not all of him had left. Jason had never felt alone since Tim and he had moved here, and that hadn’t changed during those two years it had technically been true. 

There had been a flu epidemic. Alien flu, this time. All of them had gotten it. Most of their friends and family had survived, including Jason. 

Tim hadn’t. 

Maybe it was that missing spleen coming back to haunt them. They had always been so careful keeping up with every vaccination, but in the end, there was only so much you could do to guard yourself if you were a man in your late sixties who had been immunocompromised for most of his life and was now being exposed to an alien virus. 

So maybe it had been Tim’s missing spleen. Or perhabs that was just life, Jason thought. By now, he had made his peace with it - grudgingly, grumbling, angrily, but he’d made it. 

Anyway, it wouldn’t be long for him, either. Childhood starvation and repeated physical and mental trauma had left their marks on his body, too. Even Damien had hinted about him possibly needing care soon, and the brat hadn’t gotten any more diplomatic in the last fifty years, so the word ’hinting’ was the most worrying part of that sentence. 

Jason wasn’t worried. There was a grave prepared for him already, and this time, he wouldn’t have to crawl his way back out. He’d be in good company, too. 

It was right next to his husband’s, after all. 

 

_The Wedding_

 

Three months ago, Tim had looked at Jason and thought _I’m going to keep him._

Of course, he was well aware that he was technically too young to make this kind of declarations. At twenty, people would smile at him and nod encouragingly and later tell their friends: “Yeah, right, they’re going to last a week.” And Jason wasn’t quite ready for this, either. Tim wasn’t even 100% sure Jason had acknowledged to himself that they were in a relationship yet. 

But still, Tim wanted to marry him. 

So he started planning. He subtly fed the Outlaws information that would see them staying in Vegas for weeks. He had an excuse for his own presence ready, too - the Penguin had been extending his reach towards the desert recently. Getting all the paperwork for Jason without him noticing had been a bit more difficult, but in the end, he had a marriage license for them both ready, one with their real names on it, because Tim was going to do this ‘getting drunk married in Vegas’ thing right if it killed him. 

He briefly considered getting some of his friends to be there. Kon, especially, would be furious (and with good reason) when he found out he had been deprived of his best man duties. 

But that would make it more obvious what was going on. Besides, to Tim, it wasn’t about the wedding. If that had been the point, he’d have waited for Jason to propose a few years down the road (and he absolutely would have done that, Tim knew that boyfriend of his) and have it be a proper celebration full of friends and family. 

No. Tim was greedy. He wanted to have Jason and keep him, and he knew that Jason kept his promises to him. Everything else (beautiful vows, Kon crying, Roy crying, Dick crying, Damian… stabbing something, probably, a tasteful exchange of rings, saying “I do” to the man he loved in front of everyone he considered family, cutting a cake, Bruce making the most awkward ‘father of the groom’ speech ever, them posing and kissing for every picture) could come at a later date, if ever. He just wanted the reassurance, to know that they would find their way back to each other, come what may. 

So he went to Vegas alone and got Jason drunk. He thought maybe the Outlaws would tag along (he wouldn’t have minded that, neither of them was likely to stop them, especially if Tim mentioned ‘true love’ to Bizarro), but apparently, they were busy.

Yes, Jason was currently living in a honeymoon suite. Tim couldn’t have planned it better. 

Anyway, Jason was drunk and pliant when Tim, who was way less drunk than he pretended to be, steered him towards the third chapel they saw. They had to register at a front desk with a lady that was doing her best to be enthusiastic about their ‘spontaneous’ decision. 

“Sure can do that here, my dears,” she said. “Though I’m afraid there’s a 24 hour waiting period to acquire a marriage license in Nevada.” 

Tim, trying to not let Jason see, slid her the license he’d been carrying around for weeks now. If Jason had been sober, he’d never have gotten away with it, but as it was, he only laughed: “Prepared as always for paperwork, huh?” 

“Of course,” Tim smirked. 

“Oh, in that case,” the lady said, “you can walk right in if you’d like to. We do provide witnesses as well for an extra thirty dollar.” 

“We’ll take that,” Tim replied quickly before Jason could suggest going back for his team. “Here’s my card.” 

“Do you need rings?” 

“No.” Tim had ordered them months ago during a trip to Metropolis. 

Once the transaction was complete, she smiled at them brightly: “Then you’re all set. Enjoy your wedding!” 

Tim kept checking Jason’s expressions as they walked into the chapel itself. He had promised himself that if Jason looked at all uncomfortable at what was happening, he’d stop it right away. The same would go for the next morning - if Jason wanted to get an annulment, Tim would go along. He wasn’t about to lock Jason into anything he didn’t want; he just wanted to… stake his claim, so to speak. 

So far, though, Jason simply looked relaxed. A bit amused, sure, but he was smiling when he caught Tim looking. 

The priest greeted them with a friendly smile. Despite there being no guests, he held a small speech, confirming the good reviews this chapel had received on the Internet. 

Tim had decided on this chapel because it vaguely followed the Catholic traditions while still allowing two grooms. Sure, it wasn’t his own religion, but trying to find a Jewish ceremony in Vegas was unexpectedly complicated, and anyway, they could do that later. Jason wasn’t religious, either, but the words and practices would be more familiar to him. 

“Jason Peter Todd, do you take Timothy Jackson Drake as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?" 

Tim thought Jason might make a joke about the whole ‘until death do you part thing’, but he just nodded and said: “I do.” 

“And do you, Timothy Jackson Drake, take Jason Peter Todd as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

“I do.” 

Tim was the first to take a ring, sliding it onto Jason’s finger with hands he was having a hard time not let shake. Suddenly, he was nervous to look up into his - his husband’s face, unable to take it if Jason was still amused by the whole thing. 

But Jason didn’t - he didn’t look like he thought this was a joke. Instead, he carefully took Tim’s hand, looking into his eyes as he slid on the ring. 

The priest was smiling. “Then I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss.”

Tim turned to Jason, pulling him close, and Jason kissed him immediately. It was a lot less sloppy than Tim would have expected. No, he was careful about it, gentle. Loving. And when he pulled back, he was beaming at Tim. 

“We’re married,” he said. “Tim, we’re married.” 

Yes, Tim thought, smiling back helplessly, this was going to work out. 


End file.
